Debt Collectors and Cell Phones: Do They Mix?

As anyone who has ever gotten a call from a debt collector knows, it doesn’t tend to be something you enjoy much. And that’s particularly true if you are trying your best to pay off your debts and yet feel you are being harassed.

Now, the frequency of these calls might increase due to a proposal from the Obama Administration that would, according to the Associated Press, allow private debt collectors working on behalf of the government to use “robo-calls” to cell phones— something they haven’t been allowed to do up til now.

It turns out the government contracts with private debt collection agencies to attempt to recoup various types of overdue debt payments from Americans, including student loans, tax delinquencies, and government-backed mortgages.

A spokesman for the Administration told the Associated Press that the proposal is intended in part to help people struggling with debt:

It’s a reality of the 21st century that a growing number of those who are delinquent are using only a cell phone. If we can’t reach them, we can’t help them. And that’s not good for students or for taxpayers.

Whether this actually helps people — not to mention whether it even stands a chance of passing Congress — remains to be seen. But the prospect of getting a call from a debt collector on your personal cell phone is probably not something many people would look forward to.

Have you had any bad (or good) phone calls from a debt collector? If so, tell us about it on Facebook or on Twitter at @ReadyForZero. We enjoy hearing from you.

This post was published by Ben, Content Manager and Writer for » ReadyForZero.
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